The Latest: Melania Trump appears for 1st time in 3 weeks

WASHINGTON – The Latest on first lady Melania Trump (all times local):

7:35 p.m.

First lady Melania Trump has attended a White House event honouring Gold Star families in her first appearance in more than three weeks after a kidney procedure.

Mrs. Trump joined the president at a reception Monday to honour families of those killed during military service.

Video posted on Twitter showed the first lady wearing a sleeveless black dress and strolling into the East Room accompanied by President Donald Trump. The president showed her to a seat in the front row before he headed for the stage.

Mrs. Trump had not been seen in public since May 10, when she and the president welcomed home three Americans freed from North Korea. Four days later, the White House announced she had been hospitalized to treat a benign kidney condition.

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2 p.m.

Melania Trump is scheduled to appear at her first official engagement since dropping out of sight 24 days ago.

The first lady was joining the president at a White House reception Monday evening for Gold Star families. Such families have loved ones who were killed during military service.

It will be Mrs. Trump’s first official engagement in weeks, though the event is private and closed to news media coverage.

The first lady last appeared in public on May 10 when she and the president welcomed home three Americans who had been released from captivity in North Korea.

The White House announced May 14 that she had been hospitalized to treat a kidney condition described as benign.

She has stayed out of public view since returning home on May 19.